Art Journey~ My Time in the Arts Institute at Bournemouth~

**Bendragon** · June 23rd, 2006, 06:10 PM

Hi everyone! When I first started this thread I just finished a Foundation Art year at Manchester Metropolitan University. That is when I discovered digital painting and so began my quest to improve and try turn digital painting into my main medium. I worked a lot in traditional painting and wanted to make the jump to the digital era

This thread began just before I started my university degree in Animation Production at the Arts Institute at Bournemouth which is now renamed the Arts University College at Bournemouth. I have now finished my three years there and created a grad film in my final year. The film is not yet available to put up on the internet but I estimate it will be allowed to be broadcast around the summer of 2010. So stay tuned

So this has been my journey from schoolboy to a graduate! And hopefully a professional

I hope you enjoy what you see and perhaps see how I grew during my study years. As always, critiques are yummy for my tummy!!!!! So do feed my hunger!!!!! Thanks for watching

NOTICE: New Sketchbook

**Bendragon** · June 24th, 2006, 08:05 AM

Recently got myself a wacom, photoshop and painter. So any advice would be appreciated!

Didnt like the overall shape for the creature above so I made a few changes as you can see here:

Im going to set up a still life in my room more often

Study of a Michelangelo sculpture:

Practicing rendering here:

**Bendragon** · June 24th, 2006, 12:28 PM

More:
Thought I'd show this piece I did last year in high school. Done in acrylics, I'd like to try oils some day!

Recent drawings:
My concept of a creature from the book series His Dark Materials

Studies from the Manchester Museum.

Studies outdoors with friends.

Studies sitting outside a church.

Drawing in a park early one morning. Museum studies too:

Studies of my favourite fountain in Manchester:

**Bendragon** · June 24th, 2006, 03:48 PM

Just done this piece following a painter tutorial by Marta Dahlig:

**Bendragon** · June 25th, 2006, 02:09 PM

Acrylic painting of a night scene. I went highlight crazy here

Watercolour piece. Didnt work according to plan though.

Foggy scene painting. Yeah, the buses were done quite crudely I know.

More painting.

Spaceship design inspired by a dream. Woke up immediately to do a few doodles to remind me of it which leads to this more refined sketch.

**Bendragon** · June 25th, 2006, 09:07 PM

More digital painting practice here. WIP copy of Loise Jopling's traditional self portrait.

**Bendragon** · June 26th, 2006, 04:40 PM

More work:
Time to kick start my antatomy work.

Some creature/character design based on a friend's brief.

Heres the previous post's WIP at the next stage:

Enjoy!

**Fishspawn** · June 26th, 2006, 09:31 PM

Thanks for the comment! Good stuff in here. Are you using vanishing points for the environments? Some of them seem a little warped (unless you are going for that) so you may want to work on the building perspectives. I'm realliy digging the michaelangelo study and the recent character design.

**Pixeldragoon** · June 26th, 2006, 11:47 PM

Keep it up man, you deserve more comments. I would like to see more figures, though it doesn't seem to be your focus, so I don't blame you. KEEP IT UP!!! You are obviously a painter, as I can tell by the last update =)

**White Rose** · June 26th, 2006, 11:51 PM

wow.... :3
very amazing pieces..im curious onto how long your acrylic pieces take..

and the one that u mentioned that you went highlight crazy...
there is nothing wrong with that... (did u use a reference with that painting?)

**Bendragon** · June 27th, 2006, 12:19 PM

Fishspawn - Thanks man. I forgot about the vanishing point thing. I was using photographs for referance which I relied upon too much

So thanks for reminding me about that, Ive been meaning to better my use of perspectives.

Pixeldragoon - Hey there, I havent got a focus yet. Im trying not to specialize too early and figures could help broaden my art so I'll certainly give it more go. Thanks for the encouragements.

White Rose - Cheers again! Time varies on different paintings but I know thats not what you wanted to hear lol! I took between 10-16 hours though a few took about 5 hours. I used photographs for referances. Yeah, theres nothing wrong with using highlights that way, I was just acting a fool! Thanks for commenting!

**Bendragon** · June 28th, 2006, 06:27 PM

More artwork. JOY!
This is near finish now:

More anatomy learnings:

**Merge** · June 28th, 2006, 06:50 PM

Yeah! I enjoy the kind of wacky-ness of some of your pics. The monster that you re-did and added the tail too is great, the warrior with the three arms, and the dream inspired ship are all wonderfull. Well done. I think the progression you have shown of the woman in the black dress is nice as well. She starts so bland and is full of flair by the third installment. Keep it up.

merge

p.s. Yeah I also need to say that it is nice to see someone else who writes to themselves in thier sketches.

**Bendragon** · July 4th, 2006, 03:33 PM

Ack! Sorry for not updating for a while, been fighting with these digital paints and have been fustrated by it. Guess Ive jumped in without planning what to do which will be a lesson to learn from. I havent uploaded any of my more recent analogue work so I feel a bit cheeky to only present one piece for this update.

Oh, and thanks for the comment, Merge. The writings on my studies are there to help myself understand what it is Im studing. The annotations also help to remind myself of what was going on in that moment.

I'll get back into shape soon. Ive been studing some of my weak points so hopefully we can get running again.

**Hazamataz** · July 8th, 2006, 08:39 PM

Hey ben, you really seem motivated, it's insipiring, Kepp it up.
Woah I didn't see that michaelangelo study. Again i'm impressed with how much work you put into that. It looks like it really captures the weight well.

I think one of the most important thing with studies is to know what your looking for. Are you looking to understand how this artist has captured weight? Or maybe practicing rendering? Practicing Proportions? I know all too well how easy it can be to be satisfied with it looking nice and like the artists.

You may already do this but maybe keep a piece of paper at the side where you can think it out and ask questions about how they work.

Also why have you hatched on your anatomy study? Is it to study light on form? I'm actually interested for my own anatomy studies, I would have thought to just leave it as line, to focus on the form and how the bones are.

I love the notes all around, but wheres the narative?? :p

That self portrait study is very impressive.

It seems to me like your really improving fast, but don't try and run too fast, you can trip and fall.

**Crush** · July 8th, 2006, 10:10 PM

Hey Ben,

You mention that this is for a foundation course. Where are you studying at, manchester or bournemouth?

I ask this as I plan on taking the foundation course at manchester met, and would be interested in hearing about it if that's where you're studying

Ps, nice work! that flowery black dress is awesome

**artkitty** · July 8th, 2006, 10:15 PM

I think the geometric approach you took in the antelope study at the museum helped, you should try that approach with the skulls and still life studies.

Don't get bogged down in detail too soon - first shape, then value, form, color, detail.

**Bendragon** · July 9th, 2006, 02:54 PM

Thanks people.
Haza - I dont think I put up a self portrait anywhere

The michelangelo study was something of a bargue drawing attempt. I know there was tons of errors there so its not really a bargue drawing. It was entered for the drawing prize on our course so it was rushed you see, I would have liked to get it accurate. The anatomy book I used had a lot of hatched and detailed images, but as Andy has told us, its pointless to render the bones! Your right about me trying to run before I can wlk though. I should start with the basics but its tempting to jump down the deep end. I'll probably mix the two together in future.

EDIT: Just realised what you meant by the self portrait study

. Your talking about that lady right?

Crush - Hi fellow Manchestorian. Me and Haza has just finished the Foundation course in Manchester Met. I highly recommend that course, its prob the best year of my life thus far. It got me into full-time drawing mode. Im more than happy to answer any questions you have about the course so dont hesitate to give me a bell. And if your going to do that course, say "Hi" to Brian for me (he's the teacher that I regularly battled

).

Artkitty - Greetings. A friend told me about that geometric approach which was put immediately into practice then. But I havent been using that approach much recently, so thanks for the reminder. Again, the temptation to jump straight into detail is strong. I'll try to control myself more

**Bendragon** · July 9th, 2006, 03:00 PM

More stuff:
Sketchbook ideas. This is the way I jot down ideas. A bit messy and all over the place but it works for me

Practicing drawing without referance:

Drawings on the bus:

Anatomy work:

Been sketching outdoors with some friends:

Planning a composition (ended up not using it):

Painter WIP:

**asoir** · July 9th, 2006, 03:52 PM

The watercolour's my fave! Some good stuff, stay in that room and carry on!

**Bartovan** · July 9th, 2006, 04:08 PM

You've got a good sence of color. But keep on working on your perspective. Looking forward to see more of your work.

**Bendragon** · July 10th, 2006, 03:38 PM

Asoir - Cheers. I actually think that watercolour piece is poo! Not much like a traditional watercolour piece. But Im glad you like it.

Bartovan - A lot of people seem to think my perspective needs working so I guess I'll have to give that sort that out

Thanks for pointing it out.

More on the previous WIP (I still need to finish the other WIP but Ive lost interst in it atm):

**Fishspawn** · July 10th, 2006, 03:53 PM

Hey, nice progress since i last looked in here. I really like that red chair. Remember to use structure and plan carefully even when drawing without ref, it would improve your sketching a lot. Keep working on that new painting, it has potential. Keep up the hard work.

**Bendragon** · July 14th, 2006, 05:15 PM

Cheers Fishspawn. More planning for me then, YAY!

Previous piece at its final manifestation:

Sketches, some using pictures from the newspaper as referance, some random:

Statue of Nelson:

Thought I might show this. Its a study page on value and shadings:

**ganaa** · July 19th, 2006, 09:19 PM

...Hi Bendragon. Thanks for checking my sketchbook. I saw your sketch. Your stuff is really good. I like Nelson's portrait. Legend colonel Nelson. Am i right? I love his history...

**Bendragon** · July 27th, 2006, 05:51 PM

Ganaa- Thanks, yeah thats him!

OK, now for some update:

**dannE-B** · August 1st, 2006, 07:29 AM

Hey Bendragon, You from Manchester? always nice to meet someone local. Anyways good sketches, lots of variety in your studies. Your latest Digital shows good progress, im liking the black marks next to his mouth. btw what size sketchbook are you working in, it looks BIG.